


Amendments

by CloverCreative



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Drinking, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mild Character Study, Sexist Language, Suggestive Themes, Tokka Week 2020, Toph Beifong-centric, mature themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:07:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28741485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloverCreative/pseuds/CloverCreative
Summary: Toph is sick of men always wanting more, so she decides to implement a new strategy for casual dating. A set of rules to help her navigate a fun, easy, and uncomplicated love life.But, for as good as she is at enforcing the rules.......She's even better at breaking them.Written for Tokka Week September 2020 (better late than never?) Prompt: Constitution.
Relationships: Toph Beifong/Sokka
Comments: 15
Kudos: 55





	Amendments

**Part 1: Revolution**

Toph has never considered herself to be a _mushy_ person, as she likes to call it. Over the years, she's watched (in the figurative sense, of course) as her friends dated, fell in love, and occasionally dealt with the fallout of a nasty breakup, and she was always there to help pick up the pieces (or at least buy them a stiff drink), but she herself never indulged in romance _quite_ like they did.

Not that she's completely inexperienced. On the contrary, she's had plenty of experience, arguably more than some of her friends. She's gone on plenty of dates, had her fair share of flings, and perhaps even one or two "something-mores" that some might even go so far as to call a relationship. Heck, she even made a baby with one of them! She has living, breathing _proof_ of her experience.

Even so, her experience is… _different_ than that of her friends. Her friends have always _invested_ in their love lives. They don't just accidentally stumble into relationships - they actively pursue and embrace them. They move in together, pick out furniture and baby names, get married, plan _lives_ with their significant others.

Toph, on the other hand, has always done her best to _avoid_ relationships wherever she can. And, on the few occasions when she's somehow found herself in one anyway, she's only ever felt trapped. Even with Lin's father (whom she didn't so much _plan_ a life with as she did accidently create one) Toph has always found that romantic commitments were just more trouble than they're worth.

Not that she doesn't understand the appeal. After all, she's only human, and despite what some (including herself) might have you believe, she craves connection and companionship just as much as the next person does. Plus, she isn't some prude, or some nun sworn to celibacy – even if it weren't for her emotional needs, she certainly has _physical_ ones. Toph might not have been the _first_ of her friends to have a sex life, but she was certainly the most enthusiastic about it, and she'd be the first _now_ to admit how much she enjoys it. But, between parenthood and police-hood, she's _far_ too busy for more…

… And men _always_ want more.

It's always fun at first – the "honeymoon" stage, where men are just as blind as she (again, figuratively speaking) and are somehow incapable of perceiving any of her flaws. If anything, they put her up on a pedestal, which sounds nice in theory but ends up terrible in practice. Men will tell her how they'd "never met a girl like her", so brash and strong, so independent, yet _somehow_ beautiful too.

Frankly, she thinks that's a little fucked up. Since when was independence the opposite of beauty?

She's also found that some men tend to place a little _too_ much emphasis on her power - on how _sexy_ it is that she could crush them if she really wanted to. And, okay sure, her bending _does_ make her feel confident, and maybe even kind of sexy, in a way. And yeah, she could crush someone if she _really_ wanted to. And to be fair, Toph can't deny that she _does_ enjoy a bit of attention and _much_ deserved praise, especially when it comes to her bending. But… there's a fine line between flatter and fetish, and the latter makes her more uncomfortable than she's willing to admit.

Toph would certainly never call herself "pure" - in any context - but there _is_ something she finds quite _pure_ about earthbending. Earthbenders aren't exactly renowned for their spirituality, but even Toph can't deny the sense of peace she feels when she's one with earth. Even during the most gruesome of battles, there's a certain harmony that comes with tapping into her chi and bending the earth to her will. Earth is her armor. Metal is her blood. It's a bond that makes her feel so complete, so in touch with not just the world, but herself.

So, needless to say, it _more_ than irritates her when certain men want to come along and make it _theirs_. They try to soil it, make it dirty. Make _her_ dirty. Earthbending is not _dirty_ … at least not in the way they try to make it so.

Still, men's enthusiasm for her bending usually works out in her favor - at least beneath the sheets - so as long as her boundaries are respected, she's okay turning the occasional blind eye (pardon the pun) to the more distasteful implications behind the praise.

Besides, where men are so often _overwhelmed!_ by her "dominating presence" (their words, not hers), she is so often underwhelmed and so utterly disappointed by theirs. Even on the rare occasion that she actually enjoys a man's company outside of sex - like with Saturo, or even Kanto for a while - she knows there'll inevitably be some other reason things just "don't work out", whatever that means. In any case, thinking beyond the terms of "fling" or "hookup" is rarely an issue, so the occasional uncomfortable remark - or unremarkable comfort - never lingers for too long anyway. Truthfully, by the time she's given that much thought to a man's character, she's usually already moved on.

Yes, sex is great. _Relationships_ , however, are not. Relationships are messy. Messy. Complicated. Demanding. Relationships require work and commitment, time and attention. Vulnerability. Intimacy. Not to mention, _feelings_. And sure, Toph has feelings (she isn't totally heartless). Admittedly, it didn't exactly feel _great_ when Saturo decided she wasn't "serious enough" about their future together and decided to look elsewhere, or when Kanto left her and Lin for no other reason than he just didn't want to be there.

No, it didn't feel great in the slightest.

Then again, being _with_ them didn't exactly feel great either. Sure, she enjoyed their company, but she never _craved_ it. They knew her, but they didn't _understand_ her. She liked them, but… Well, maybe that's the difference between her and her friends. Toph has feelings. Just, none that are strong enough to make her want _more…_ at least not with them.

And again… men _always_ want more.

Eventually, _inevitably_ , when the honeymoon stage ends, so does the praise, and men not only want more from the relationship, but they want more from _her_ too. They want her around more. To work less, spend more time with them. They want her softer, more giving, more nurturing, more _dependent_. _Less like that! More like this!_ Suddenly, her strength is no longer sexy, but threatening. Her assertiveness is no longer cute, but bitchy. Her humor is no longer funny and relatable, but uncouth and embarrassing, unfit for a _lady_. Yeah, no shit.

Men always want more.

Just, not of _her_.

Well, Toph decided a long time ago not to change for anyone, _especially_ for a man that make her feel less than great. She's too busy for all that. Too busy for _complicated_. Plus, with Lin in the picture, Toph can't _afford_ complicated. She has a daughter to protect, she can't just let _any_ man insert himself in their lives and ask for more.

As is such, relationships just aren't really her thing.

And that's okay. She doesn't _need_ a man to take care of her, to treat her like some damsel in distress when she so clearly isn't one. And she doesn't need a man to make her happy or fulfilled either. She has her daughter, who Toph loves more than she thought it was possible to love anything. She has her friends. Aang. Katara. Zuko. Suki. _Sokka_ … She has her friends, her nieces and nephews, her officers down at the station. She has all of them, her _family_. And they don't ask her to change, to be something she's not. They never expect _more_ from her than she's willing to give. She has them, and she has her _earthbending_. What else could she possibly need?

Well….

Okay, so maybe there's _one_ thing a man is good for that she can't always do herself. Toph enjoys sex. A lot. And sure, she can get herself off just fine on her own, but it isn't _quite_ the same.

In some ways, sex is like earthbending. Toph can practice, get better at it, stronger, more acquainted with it on her own. It's still enjoyable, and she's good (great) at it, with or without someone else in the room. But much like earthbending, sex is a lot more fun when she can properly show off her talents. When there is someone to spar with, so to speak. Someone to sense, touch, feel, move, _bend_. Yes, it certainly is more _fun_ with someone else.

So maybe Toph doesn't do _relationships_ , per say. That doesn't mean she can't have fun, right? People can have sex without complicating it, without there needing to be a _relationship_. Hell, that's what she's been trying to do all along, isn't it? It's men who want to come along and ask for _more_. _Less of this! More of that!_ Fuck that! Maybe she just has to be better about setting boundaries from the get-go.

Boundaries. How can she create boundaries? _Hmm_.

 _Rules_ , she realizes. That's how.

It's a thought that she's hesitant to jump on. You see, Toph and "rules" have always had a complicated relationship (even figurative relationships are never simple). As a kid, she'd been so keen on rejecting the rules, so perhaps it is the great irony (or hypocrisy) of her life that she grew up to have a career in enforcing them. Truth be told, the older she gets, the more she appreciates rules and their value. Rules create structure, and structure shapes society. Rules provide the blueprint for right and wrong, the foundation on which a whole city was built, and the constitution for how future generations will someday evolve.

Constitution. _Hmm_.

Maybe that's what she needs. A _constitution_. All in her head of course, not on paper (spirits forbid! Her secretary would never let her live it down!). Nonetheless, it will be a binding contract that she signs with herself. A set of rules and principles that will help her pioneer a new type of love life for herself. One that will let her have fun, without allowing men to ask her for _more_ than she's willing to give. Without allowing men to make her feel less than great.

Yes, a constitution is _exactly_ what she needs!

Now… Where to start?

* * *

**Part 2: Constitution**

Drafting her constitution takes time. Enough time, in fact, that Toph starts to become a bit embarrassed by her efforts. She hasn't told anyone what's she up to, so her shame is thankfully confined to her own mind. Even so, she wonders if perhaps she's spending a little _too_ much mental energy on it, overcomplicating it. The whole point of this arrangement is to _uncomplicate_ her love life, isn't it? But she's _Toph Beifong_ , and when Toph Beifong does something – even something as silly as creating a constitution to guide her sex life – she does it right.

For a while, she debates asking Sokka for some input. He _is_ her closest friend, and probably the only person she would even _think_ to trust with this kind of secret. Plus, ever since his breakup with Suki a few years back, he himself adopted a more _casual_ approach to dating, so he might be able to offer some valuable suggestions.

It doesn't take long for Toph to nip that idea completely in the bud (or to question what she was even thinking in the first place!). Sokka might be the only person she could trust with this information, but for some reason, she thinks he's also the person she'd be the most _mortified_ by if they ever found out. Not that Sokka would judge her. He might tease her a little at first, but only a little, and afterwards he'd probably be annoyingly supportive about it. That, or he'd try to convince her that she deserves _more_ than a life resigned to casual hookups with zero possibility of actual romance. That's just it though – Toph doesn't _want_ more. At least, not more of what she's had, more of feeling _less than great._

So, as foolish as it feels, Toph continues drafting the charter in her head, writing and revising rules all as part of her _Constitution for Casual Dating_. Okay, so not her best title work to date, but it'll do (Sokka was always better at the nicknames, anyway). A simple set of rules – not too many, but enough - starting with:

**Rule #1: It's okay to be tipsy, but never _drunk_.**

This first rule comes to her fairly quickly, and Toph creates it not just for dating, but as a general rule for life. Of course, she likes her drink as much as the next gal, but she also likes _control_ , and getting wasted is a sure-fire way to lose it. Too much booze makes her seismic sense kind of fuzzy, makes solid earth feel like sand, and makes her tongue a bit too loose (even by her own standards).

She had her fair share of sloppy fun when she was a bit younger, back before she became a parent and before becoming Chief of Police. Not that she could ever become a complete buzzkill. _Tipsy_ is good. Tipsy means fun, relaxed, and just the _right_ amount of confidence. _Drunk_ , however, usually just means bad decisions. Drunk, means messy, and if she's going to stick to all her other, more important rules, she'll need a clear head.

**Rule #2: Never sleep with friends**

Admittedly, when Toph makes this rule, she knows there's really only one person it could possibly apply to. Aang has been in love with Katara since the moment he woke up from his 100-year-long nap (and frankly, he's not really her type anyway. Sorry, Twinkle Toes). Zuko has a mysterious bad-boy thing going for him that she finds a _little_ more appealing (don't tell him that), but not only is he already committed to Mrs. Gloom and Doom, he's also the Firelord. Out of principle, sleeping with royalty or nobility of any kind is a big no-no. She considers adding that as an official rule but decides against it – she can't imagine be tempted enough for it ever to be relevant.

The only other real candidate that leaves then, is _Sokka._ Again, she debates even including this rule in the first place. But… since Sokka is also _technically_ single and is also _technically_ on the casual dating scene, there is _technically_ the slight _, minuscule_ possibility of them maybe, _hypothetically_ of course, crossing paths outside the realms of friendship… _technically_.

So, better to be safe than sorry.

Plus, as much as she hates to admit it, if such a situation _were_ ever to maybe, hypothetically of course, arise… she might, _might_ be tempted.

She likes to pretend that Sokka might even be tempted in return.

But sleeping with friends has the potential to make things complicated, and she didn't have _time_ for "complicated." Besides, aside from her daughter's safety, the one thing Toph isn't willing to risk is her friendships, _especially_ with Sokka. The thought of losing any of her friends – of losing him _–_ might even be as bad as the thought of losing her bending. It just can't happen. So, she can't risk it.

**Rule #3: Never Spend the Night**

This one is normally not an issue, at least not since having a kid. Ever since Lin was born, Toph had adopted a strict policy of never letting strange men come over, so at least she doesn't ever have to worry about kicking anyone out. And even though she always goes to the guy's place now, Toph usually has to go home to relieve her nanny afterwards, so spending the night is rarely an issue in the first place.

But she keeps it as a rule anyway. It's not _normally_ an issue, but there are nights when Lin spends the night at the island or is visiting her grandparents, and on those nights, Toph has _options_. Options are dangerous. Options let her stay in bed, linger too long, indulge in comforts like post-coital cuddles (because yes, even she likes to cuddle).

A little bit of cuddling is okay, but only if no one falls asleep. Falling asleep and spending the night is out of the question. Spending the night means spending the _morning_ too, then before you know it the guy is asking you to spend the whole day together, demanding more time than you're willing to give. Nope, better to go home before they get any ideas.

**Rule #4: Don't get attached**

She's not sure why she bothers putting this rule in. She's never gotten attached before, not even to the father of her own child. But still, it feels like a necessary one. The whole idea behind casual dating is to not get wrapped up in any commitments. Commitments inevitably involve way too much "opening up" for her liking, and more vulnerability than she's comfortable with.

For a brief moment, she wonders if this is why her taste in men has always left so much to be desired. Maybe this rule has always existed in the back of her mind, at least subconsciously. Maybe it's why she chooses to be with men whose company she doesn't enjoy, who make it easy to never spend the night and never want more, who make her feel _less than great._

Maybe.

In any case, it's a rule she decides to keep.

**Rule #5: Don't let _them_ get attached**

The last, but arguably most important rule. It's why she decides it's better to only sleep with someone once, _maybe_ twice, if the sex is good enough. Anything beyond that, cut them off. Make it clear from the start that she's not looking for anything serious – not a second date, not a fling, and certainly _not_ a relationship.

When men get attached, they always want more. More submissive, more intimate, more feminine. More like this, less like that. Yes, they always want more. But not from her, from someone else. Someone she could never live up to.

No, she's better off never letting anyone get attached.

At least this way, no one ends up disappointed.

Toph is pretty satisfied with her set of rules. They're simple enough, and really, they won't change much from her current routine. If anything, it just takes away the variable of temptation. It takes away her options. Creates rigid, stone walls. And while she's not one to put herself in a cage, in this case, it's less for keeping herself in and more for keeping other people _out_.

Yes, she's pretty satisfied with her rules. Her guidelines. Her constitution.

The thing is though...

For as good as she is at enforcing the rules…

... She's even _better_ at breaking them.

* * *

**Part 3: Amendments**

**_Rule #1: It's okay to be tipsy, but never drunk._ **

Toph isn't sure how she ends up _this_ wasted. It's someone's birthday – no one special to her, one of her officers' wives or something - and it just so happens that Lin was already booked for a sleepover tonight, so it didn't take much convincing to get her to go out.

It _also_ just so happens that Sokka had been in her office when she got the invitation, so of course, it was only natural that he decided to tag along too. Which would normally be totally fine, of course. It's not an irregular occurrence, after all. No reason for alarm.

Except, her officers have all gone home, so it's just the two of them. Plus, it's _very_ late, and Toph realizes she can't remember the last time she and Sokka were out together, _just_ the two of them, with _this_ much alcohol in their systems. Whose idea had it been to do shots anyway? Oh yeah, _Sokka's_.

Toph would never admit this to him, but Sokka is her _favorite_ person to go out with. In their younger years, nights out were admittedly a bit wilder than they are now. But _even_ now, Sokka always knows how to have a good time, and how to make everyone else have a good time too. Truth be told, Toph is always a little sad when she somehow ends up on nights out without him, and always wishes he was there.

On nights out when he _is_ there, Toph finds herself gravitating towards him - seeking him out, standing by his side, keeping tabs on his every move. It's really just because they're such good friends, though. No other reason. After all, it's only natural to want to be near your friends. Besides, _everyone_ seems to gravitate towards Sokka nowadays. He's certainly not the lanky, stumbling teenager he once was, and it's hard to argue that he has a certain charisma about him that no one else can replicate.

It can be annoying sometimes, having to share Sokka's charm with everyone else, but even when his attention is not on her, it's hard to get bored in Sokka's presence. Plus, when nights out inevitably involve uncomfortable amounts of small talk, Sokka always knows _exactly_ how to deal with it. Toph has slim patience for it, so she's thankful when someone else can fill in the gaps and knows what to say, and Sokka knows better than anyone.

Even Aang. Aang is the Avatar and gets a lot of practice, so he's not _bad_ at small talk, per say. He's just a bit _too_ nice, so he usually ends up getting them roped into conversations for longer than even he probably has the patience for. Katara has the same problem, though it's somehow worse, as she tends to gear the conversations towards things that Toph frankly cares little about ( _Sorry, Mrs. Lee-talks-a-lot, I don't care that you knitted a new sweater for your pet poodle-monke_ y).

Zuko though, is the _worst_ for it. Aside from the fact that he's not actually around all that much, whenever he is, he's usually a bit awkward when it comes to conversing with strangers. You'd think being a world leader would make him an expert at it, and perhaps he is in the right setting. But on nights out, away from his palace and away from formalities, Toph thinks he tries just a _little_ too hard to act casual, so she usually ends up having to cover his slack.

But Sokka… Sokka is a _master_ at conversation. Heck, he's just a master at dealing with people, period. Maybe it's his experience on the council, or maybe it's just who his is and who he's always been. He has just the right amount of tact, he knows all the right questions and all the right answers. He's good humored and engaging, yet always knows to keep one foot out the door. He doesn't have to try so hard to be funny or relatable, he just _is_. Why wouldn't people gravitate towards him?

Toph likes to think that perhaps Sokka gravitates towards _her_ too (why wouldn't he? She's charming as hell, thank you very much). They gravitate towards _each other._ They always have. Since the war, since _the_ _airships_. It's their default. A subconscious movement, like breathing. Whenever the world gets too stressful, whenever it feels like the earth could slip out from beneath their feet, or whenever they simply want to be near someone who's guaranteed to make them laugh… they find each other.

Perhaps that's why they stand so close together _now_ , sandwiched in at a crowded bar, losing track of the number of drinks they've had as they shoot back another. It's borderline claustrophobic, with the busy, uneven noise of fellow drinkers surrounding them, the slight stench of stale booze, and the sweaty back of a stranger pressed against her side. It does make her feel a little better about having to stand _so_ close to Sokka. It's really just out of necessity. Nothing more.

But the realization of _just how close_ they are hits her as someone bumps into her, and she has nowhere to go but up against Sokka's chest. He doesn't seem to mind - doesn't even seem to notice - as he keeps going on about his disastrous council meeting earlier today. Toph notices though. It's hard _not_ to notice the solid wall of his chest, warm and inviting, anchoring her in such a crowded space. It makes her nervous for some reason, especially with so much alcohol in her system. Which is silly! Okay, _so what_ if she broke her first rule (she's definitely well past tipsy at point). That rule really only applies to dating right? And this isn't a date - it's just Sokka!

But her head is spinning, and whatever semblance of a filter she had (which wasn't much to begin with) is long gone, which means even the thoughts she keeps hidden even from herself are starting to surface, out of her control.

"Oh, I forgot to ask earlier," Sokka starts, mercifully disrupting Toph from her thoughts. "How was the match last week?"

"Pretty great." Toph says, happy for the distraction, "I gotta say, I didn't think the Ba Sing Se Badgermoles had it in them, but that knockout in the last round? Damn. You missed one hell of a match."

"Shit, I'm sorry I missed it." Sokka says, genuinely, whispering something not-so-nice about the budget meeting he had to attend instead of the match. Playfully, he adds, "Bet it wasn't as fun without me there, right?"

No, it wasn't. Toph was sorry he missed it too. "Eh, I barely noticed you were gone."

"Ouch!" Sokka places his hand up to his chest in a dramatic display of offence, but Toph can hear the smile in his voice, "Did Lin miss me at least?"

"Perhaps." Toph shrugs, keeping up her nonchalance, "You'll have to ask her yourself." He didn't really. Of _course,_ Lin missed him. Those two are thicker than thieves, and everyone knows it.

"I guess I will." Sokka clicks his tongue, hiding his amusement. "Hey, you ever thought about getting in on the pro-bending scene?"

"Ha!" Toph slaps the counter, startling a few neighboring drunkards. "Can you imagine!?"

"Hey, why not?" Sokka says, "You'll bend earth, obviously. You got Katara for water, Aang for fire I guess, since air's not an option. Plus, you got _me_ to manage you guys! I'd only ask for twenty-five, maybe thirty percent commission. Fifty, tops."

"Ah, there it is." Toph says, slowly, "You're just trying to make a quick buck off us benders! Sorry, bub, I'm not feeling very charitable at the moment. Get lost."

"Ouch again. Quit breaking my heart, Beifong."

"Oh shush. You don't need more money, _Councilman_." Toph moves to swat his chest but then ends up losing her balance instead. Thankfully, Sokka's there to steady her. When did Toph's speech get so slurred? "I'm too busy, you know, protecting _your_ city. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to everyone else in the arena."

"Why, cause you'd have the Avatar?"

"No, cause they'd have _me_!"

"Humble as always, I see." Sokka says, teasingly, _fondly._ "Too bad, I bet you'd look pretty good in one of those pro-bending uniforms."

Huh. Well… Toph's not quite sure how to respond to _that_ , so she doesn't. Is Sokka _flirting_ with her? If he is – which Toph decides, he probably isn't – he doesn't linger for too long. Instead, clearing his throat, he asks, "So, how was work today after I left?"

She hears him take a sip of his beer. It _must_ be his fourth or fifth bottle by now, and Toph wonders how he still sounds so composed. Regretfully, she fondles her own glass of liquor. They had quit the shots a while ago, but maybe she should have gone for beer for a cooldown instead of gin. Gin is pretty strong – _too_ strong - and she prefers the taste of a hearty stout anyway.

For a split second, she imagines tasting the beer off of Sokka's lips, how _extra_ hearty that would be. She just as quickly drowns the thought away with another sip of her mediocre gin. When she feels heat rise to her cheeks, she blames it on the booze.

"Ah, same old, same old," Toph says, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Some triads tried to rob some poor old lady's pottery shop of all places, then made the mistake of thinking they could get away from _me_."

"Oof, big mistake. You bust some heads?" There's an equal dose of teasing and pride in Sokka's voice that tickles her chest.

"You know it." Toph says, ignoring the feeling. Wanting to distract herself a little more, she then makes a point of flexing her arm, showing off her impressive _(quite_ impressive, thank you very much) bicep. If she were sober, the action might have felt silly. It's not like she cares, or even knows what her bicep looks like.

But if the action looks at all silly, thankfully Sokka doesn't point it out. Instead, he actually joins in, clapping encouragingly at Toph's little flex show. "Very nice, very nice," he says, putting on his best impression of some snooty judge or fancy critic. "Excellent form. Beautiful bicep. Perfect for busting heads."

Toph feels another blush rise to her cheeks, and she stops her flexing in favor of reaching for her drink, hoping to hide her blush behind the rim of her glass. She misses her mark though, and Sokka helps by gently placing the glass in her hand. Toph wonders if it's just her imagination when his fingers linger on top of hers for a beat too long.

It's then that she feels a hand resting, quite firmly, on her backside. For a brief, tantalizing second, she wonders if it's Sokka's hand. But no – why would it be (and why does she _want_ it to be?). As it turns out, it's a stranger's hand. The same stranger whose sweaty back had been braced against hers for the past half hour or so.

Apparently, Sokka hadn't been the only one admiring her little flex show.

"Damn. Never seen such a pretty little thing with guns like _those_ ," the stranger says. His voice is smarmy, and even through her own intoxicated state, Toph can smell the booze off his breath, "I'd like you to bust _my_ head, if you know what I mean."

Toph rolls her eyes, not at all impressed by the cheap innuendo. Still, it's with a trickle of shame that Toph's first instinct is to reciprocate the flirtation. In a way, this guy is just her type. He may be sleazy, but he's someone she'd never get attached to, and that's about the extent of what she looks for in a man.

But then Toph remembers Sokka, whose body now stiffens at her side in what feels like rage. Suddenly, the idea of entertaining this sleazy stranger even for a second feels absolutely mortifying. _What would Sokka think?_ Trying to maintain some form of dignity, Toph decides on a different approach.

"Why don't you take your hand off my ass and go fuck yourself with it," she says, and the sober part of her brain is quite proud of how smoothly it comes out. "Back off."

"Wow, you're a frisky one," he responds, clearly not taking the hint. To make things worse, he gives her butt (that he still hasn't let go of!) a sharp pinch. "I like that."

Toph opens her mouth to retort, but to her surprise, Sokka beats her to it.

"I believe the lady told you to back off." Despite the heavy crowd, Sokka somehow weaves his way around Toph and in between her and the stranger, shoving the stranger's hand away from her ass. "Why don't you get lost, buddy. Before I make you get lost."

"Come on, dude," the stranger says, undeterred. "Lighten up. I was just having some fun."

"Oh, you're looking for fun? Why didn't you say so?" Sokka says, and it strikes Toph as odd to hear his sarcasm mixed with what sounds suspiciously like a threat. "How bout' you have some fun with my fists instead? Or perhaps my boomerang? No, no, my _sword_. That sounds like fun to me."

Toph feels her jaw drop open. Yup, that was _definitely_ a threat. When did _Snoozles_ grow a pair? Part of Toph wants to chime in, make a point about how she doesn't need a man to "defend her honor" or whatever… But a bigger part of her – the part that's currently being lead by copious amounts of alcohol - is actually kind of touched.

But there's something else she feels too. She gulps back the sudden sensation, and she feels it trickle all the way down her throat and into the pit of her stomach, then lower, where it decides to settle. It's only then, shifting uncomfortably in her drunken haze, that she realizes what it is she's feeling. She's feeling… _aroused_.

 _Shit_.

"Take it easy, dude," the guy says, finally taking a step back. "I didn't realize she was taken for."

For some reason, it surprises Toph when Sokka doesn't bother correcting the stranger's assumption. Instead, he positions his arm around Toph, pulling her close to his chest, protectively. Yet again, Toph feels the heat rise to her cheeks, but this time she can't even _pretend_ to blame it on the alcohol.

"Unbelievable." Sokka says, once the stranger is gone. His arm drops from Toph's shoulder, and she immediately wishes he'd put it back. "Why do guys always talk to you like that? It's disgusting."

"You tell me." Her voice comes out more breathless than she intends. Once again, she clears her throat, reeling in her lust. "I miss the days where my muscles just intimidated people. Now guys see them as an invitation."

Sokka pauses, taking a sip from his beer. Then, carefully, "Well, are you sure it isn't?"

"Isn't what?"

"An _invitation_?" Sokka says, knowingly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toph says, frowning. If there's any trace of lust left in her voice, it gets quickly replaced by anger. "What, do I have some signal on my forehead that I don't know about? One _asking_ creeps to come hit on me? I can't see, remember, so you'll have to tell me."

"I know. I know, Toph. I know it's nothing _you_ do." Sokka sighs, "It's just, I think you deserve better than someone who talks to you like that. That's all."

This is starting to sound suspiciously like the precise conversation she wanted to avoid.

"Well," Toph chews her lip, reluctantly, "It's not like I _enjoy_ being talked to like that. It _is_ kind of creepy."

"It's ridiculous!" Sokka says, and Toph can sense him gesturing out with his hands, in that way he does when he gets worked up. "Sexualizing your…" he gestures directly at her, " _You_ like that."

Toph raises a pointed brow, "You want to rephrase that?"

"You know what I mean," Sokka awkwardly scratches the back of his neck, but keeps talking, "Sexualizing your muscles and stuff like that. Your bending. Your strength. It's gross."

 _Gross?_ She's surprised at how much Sokka's words sting, and before she can filter out the question, Toph dares to ask, "What, you don't think strong is sexy?"

"Well, of _course_ you are," Sokka says, and he says it so smoothly that Toph wonders if he even realizes his slip. Perhaps he's not as composed as she first thought. Calling each other sexy is not something they _do_ , right?

But she doesn't get the chance to ask (not that she could, in her suddenly speechless state), as Sokka finishes, "It's just… you're more than that, you know?"

"More?" Toph asks, surprised by just how graveled her own voice sounds. 

"Yeah. Like, okay sure – you're strong and powerful, and your this _amazing_ bender. And, of course, you're beautiful and sexy and all that." He says it so casually that it catches her off guard. _Does he know what he's saying?_

"I am?"

Sokka doesn't seem to hear her, only getting more worked up, "But you're also super fucking funny. You're witty and smart, a great listener, fun to talk to. And even if you're not always the _sweetest_ person in the room, you have this deep sense of justice which you're not afraid to fight for that not a lot of people have. You're _Toph Beifong_ , for fucks sake! There's so much of you to love, it just… It makes me so _mad_ when people can't see all of it."

Sokka's impromptu speech trails off into a jarring silence. Well, as silent as can be inside an overcrowded bar. But even with the background noise blaring in her ears, Toph can only hear the beating of her heart as it flutters away. She wonders again if Sokka realizes what he just said. The wild thrum of his heart and the sudden intake of breath tells her that… _yes_ , he does.

It's only then that Toph realizes her hand is pressed against his chest, where his pulse beats beneath her fingertips. She doesn't need to touch him to feel the vibrations of his heart, but she realizes she _wants_ to. She slides her hand from his chest up to his neck, where her hand cups his jaw. Her thumb swipes across his goatee, scratches against the stubble on his cheeks. She feels him swallow, his body _tense_ underneath her grip, but clearly not averse.

Suddenly, Toph remembers her constitution, and she remembers why rule #1 is so important. If she were sober, _tipsy_ even, she'd know better. She'd have control, be able to stop things before they got out of hand.

But she's not sober, not by a landslide, and breaking the first rule makes it remarkably easy to break another.

"So…" Toph says. Slow, but steady, "You think I'm sexy?"

**_Rule #2: Never sleep with friends_ **

She's not sure _how_ they get from the bar to his apartment, but _here they are_ , her back pressed against the wall of his bedroom and his lips pressed against her skin. His lips are warm and wet, trailing up her neck, sloppy and skilled all at once. They pepper at her jaw, nip at her ear, branding every inch of skin like a hot iron to livestock.

It takes her a minute to think past her haze and remember who those lips belong to, but they're just as soft as she would have imagined. Soft, yet pleasantly countered by the goatee and stubble on his chin, and the juxtaposition sends tingles all the way from her head down to her toes, and somewhere in the middle.

Her head is spinning, but she's not _quite_ as buzzed as she was an hour or so ago. There's really no excuse for just how _intoxicated_ she feels as his lips finds hers, welding them together like liquid metal. Now, Toph has had her fair share of kisses over the years. Some of those kisses were good, some were even great, and others not so much. Kissing Sokka though? Well… apparently his mouth is good for more than just small talk.

He smells faintly of tobacco, remnants left on his clothes from the bar. His lips taste like beer, just how she imagined. A hearty stout, dark and bitter, yet somehow so sweet on her tongue that it makes her lightheaded. He kisses her with a golden tongue - no, a _platinum_ one - so precious and rare that even _Toph_ can't bend him away. Not that she wants to.

Toph's normally one to take the lead in bedroom scenarios, so it feels a bit strange to relinquish control like this, and to _Sokka_ of all people. Goofy, smart, funny, sweet, affectionate, lovable Sokka. Distantly, she _knows_ they shouldn't be doing this. This is a distinct violation of rule #2. Sokka is her friend, her _best_ friend. The very reason this rule exists. _What are they doing?_ _What does this mean?_ It's surely bound to get awkward, to ruin their friendship. To make things _complicated_. No, they shouldn't be doing this. They shouldn't be kissing, exploring each other's bodies in such intimate ways. His hands shouldn't be snaking up her sides towards her breasts, and hers shouldn't be gripping his hair so tightly, afraid if she let go he'd disappear. This is wrong. They should stop! They shouldn't be-

 _Oooohh, that's the spot_. Sokka's lips find the pulse point on her neck. He bites down to ignite a fire, then douses the flames with a gentle peck. His lips summon goosebumps, then trace them to her chest. Time has no boundaries - it seems to happen so quick. Her head is fuzzy, her body is molten – hot, burning molten that has slipped from her grasp, out of her control. Sokka tugs at her shirt, a silent request. She lets him take it off, then her bindings, and suddenly skin meets skin. When had he taken off _his_ shirt?

She expects him to take her right there against the wall - rough and quick, like all the other guys she's been with.

Because that's how it always is. Men like her for how "rough around the edges" she is, and the sex is typically rough to match. Men take her, bend her back, have their way, treat her more like an _object_ than a person. Which is fine, really, since she typically returns the favor.

But Sokka has never been like other men – not to her anyway - so perhaps she shouldn't be so surprised when he doesn't treat her like other men do.

Instead, where she expects roughness, he's tender. Where she expects speed, he's slow and methodical, his lips patient and giving against her skin. She might have expected humor – some awkward, slapstick comment to ruin the moment - but again, Sokka surprises her. He's remarkably serious as he guides her away from the wall and towards his bed, laying her down with a perfect harmony of eager and gentle. Neither one of them speak, afraid to break this spell.

Just like that, another rule is broken.

Truthfully though, with Sokka's lips on hers – so mesmerizing, so hypnotic, so _distracting_ even – her stupid little constitution was the last thing from her mind.

**_Rule #3: Never Spend the Night_ **

Toph wakes up to sore muscles and an even _sorer_ head. Even so, she's not sure she remembers the last time she woke up feeling _this_ comfortable. It takes her a minute to realize where she is… to feel the warmth of a body pressed against her, the arm wrapped around her torso, the steady breath against her ear. The sheets, tangled around tangled limbs, are softer, more _inviting_ than they have a right to be, and Toph feels her heart sink and soar all at once.

 _Shit_. That's another rule broken.

Slowly, she peels Sokka's arm away from her torso, careful not to wake him. She swings her legs over the edge of the mattress and sits up, and already, she misses the warmth of her partner's skin, as the cool air sends goosebumps to her own.

Sokka's breathing remains deep and steady, so it surprises Toph when she moves to stand up, only to have Sokka stop her with a gentle grasp of her wrist.

"No." he says, groggy and whiny, "Stay."

It's a simple request, but it takes Toph a minute to process. She can feel Sokka's gaze on her, coaxing her back to bed as his thumb strokes the back of her wrist, soft and inviting - just like his sheets.

She should say no. She _really_ should. This is slipping into dangerous, demanding territory, where guys start to ask for _more_. But… this isn't just some guy, this is Sokka. He doesn't have to demand her time - Toph is happy to give it, willingly. And he's never asked her to change. To be something else, to be something _more_. To him, she already _is_ more.

She already broke rule #3, right? She already spent the night. _Technically_ , spending the morning isn't actually against the rules, so what would be the harm, right? Besides, it's more of a guideline, if anything. And she was _sooo_ comfortable – she's earned a proper rest, hasn't she?

As if she needs more convincing, she can practically _feel_ the polar-bear-puppy-dog eyes Sokka's sending her way. She may be blind, but even she could never say no to that face.

Toph makes a show of rolling her eyes, but she doesn't complain as she gets back under the covers and into Sokka's embrace. He wraps his arm around her torso again, interlocking his hand with hers as he draws her close to his chest. He places a kiss on the back of her shoulder, then just below her ear, then places his head back on the pillow and drifts back into sleep. It's an intimate gesture – _too_ intimate – but Toph is asleep before she can think too much of it.

**_Rule #4: Don't get attached_ **

It's only after their fifth time sleeping together – after she kept promising herself not to let herself go there again, then kept on _breaking_ that promise – that Toph realizes she's broken yet another rule.

But she had broken it a long time ago. Long before slipping beneath Sokka's sheets - or _anyone's_ sheets, if she's being honest. She'd been attached since day one, since she was but a twelve-year-old girl, discovering for the first time what it is to have a friend, and what it is to be one. She'd been attached since that day on the back of an airship, when Sokka's grip had been the only link between life and death. Come to think of it, she can't remember a time when she _hadn't_ been attached.

Toph once believed that she never wanted a relationship because her feelings were never strong enough. Truth is, her feelings were just _too_ strong for someone else. For _Sokka_ , whose company she didn't just enjoy, but _craved_. For Sokka, who didn't just know her, but _understood_ her - better than she sometimes understood herself. For Sokka, who she didn't just like, but truly, _deeply_ loved.

Fuck.

She can't. She's already broken too many of her rules. This is getting out of hand. She can practically hear her _"constitution for casual dating"_ mocking her – crumbling itself up in her head, ready and _so willing_ to be tossed aside, forever forgotten.

But… she can't. She knows from experience that these things inevitably just "don't work out." She remembers how it felt when Saturo dumped her because she wasn't committed enough, or when Kanto left her and her child, simply because he just didn't want to be there. She remembers her many flings with men she cared little about, and how even _those_ stung, when they inevitably ended. How would it feel when things inevitably "don't work out" with the person she actually loves?

Carefully, she unfolds the constitution in her head, mentally smoothing out the creases in the page, going over the invisible ink with a fine-tooth comb.

"No strings attached, right?" Toph says out of the blue, breaking her lips away from a breathless Sokka. He's on top of her, _inside_ of her, their bodies slick with sweat, and Toph can tell she's caught him off guard.

Sokka pauses for a beat too long, as if he hadn't heard her. But then, "Uh, yeah sure, I guess." There's a certain resignation to his voice when he adds, "If that's what you want."

Toph nods, a bit too quick. "That's what I want."

Sokka hesitates again, and Toph feels him staring at her, probing at her expression. She keeps her face carefully blank, _stern_ almost, as if daring him to fight back. _Please_ _fight back_.

But he doesn't, because he respects and trusts her enough to _believe_ her when she says what she wants. _Damn him._

When he kisses her again, she wonders if he can taste the lie.

**_Rule #5: Don't let them get attached_ **

Toph is eating lunch at her desk, really just minding her own business, when a familiar figure bursts into the room. Toph, of course, had sensed his footsteps approaching long before entering, so she doesn't even flinch at his urgency. He takes big strides until he's standing right in front of her desk. Toph can sense his racing, frantic heart. _Here we go._

"Is it mine?" Sokka asks by way of greeting.

Toph swallows the bite of her sandwich she'd been working on. "Well hello to you too."

"Cut the crap, Toph," He says. "Katara told me. Now answer the question. Is. It. _Mine_?"

Toph sighs as she puts down her sandwich, her appetite suddenly gone. She stands up, her chair scraping harshly against the floor. She paces the room for a moment, and she can feel the bated breath that Sokka holds as he waits for her answer.

She wants to lie to him. She already broke every other rule…what would be the harm in breaking _this one_ too? All she has to do is lie, tell him what he wants to hear.

But she can't do that to him. That wouldn't be fair.

She can't let him get attached.

"No." Toph says, honestly.

"No?" Sokka repeats. Slowly, skeptically, "What do you mean, _no_? We've slept together Toph, and… not just once." By the crack in voice, Toph knows he must be blushing. "I did the math."

"You think you're the only man I've been sleeping with?" Toph says, and she can feel by the rise in Sokka's heartrate that _yes_ , he did think that.

"I… I thought we were maybe starting something." He admits, and Toph has to resist rolling her eyes, because as much as she loves Sokka, he's not _completely_ immune to double standards.

Toph points out, "We said no strings attached, didn't we?"

"No, _you_ said that."

"But you _agreed_ , didn't you?" Toph counters. "Am I the only person _you've_ slept with recently?"

Sokka hesitates, and Toph can tell it's from guilt. "No."

"Right." Toph says, not at all surprised, "Then _believe_ me when I tell you. It's. Not. Yours." Even to her own ears it sounds a little harsh, so she adds, genuinely, "I'm sorry."

With that, Toph sits back down at her desk, expecting the conversation to end there, but Sokka surprises her (he's full of surprises, apparently) by sitting across from her, stubborn in his seat.

"Who _is_ the father, then?" He asks, his voice carefully indifferent.

Toph's hand instinctively lands at her belly – it's not yet big enough to tell what's inside, but the heartbeat it hides beats fast and strong, a promise of life. It makes her equal parts happy and sad. Happy, for the life that will be. But sad, for what _could_ have been. What could have been _Sokka's_.

"Just some guy," she answers. Because that's the truth.

Some guy, who she followed all the rules with. She hadn't been drunk. He wasn't a friend, she hadn't spent the night, and despite the life growing inside her, she remains completely and utterly detached. As does he.

"Well, how do you know it's his and not mine?"

"I guess I don't." Toph shrugs, "All I can say is that _I_ did the math too." Many, _many_ times, just to be sure. "And based on my timeline… odds are it's not yours."

"But it _is_ possible?" he asks, and it breaks Toph's heart how hopeful he sounds - how hopeful it makes _her_.

Begrudgingly, she admits, "Yes, I suppose that _maybe_ there's a slim chance that it's _kind of_ possible… Technically. But, I don't know what to tell you, Sokka. It probably isn't yours."

For a moment, the room becomes heavy under the weight of all that this means. A resigned silence echoes off the walls, deafeningly. Sokka is the first to break it.

"So that's it then?" he says, distraught, "We'll just never know for sure?"

Another shrug. "Guess not."

"Toph," Sokka says, disbelief in his voice, "How are so indifferent about this? I'm not just some random guy. I'm not _Kanto_. This is you and me, me and you. This could be _our_ baby."

He's right to be upset of course, but that doesn't stop Toph from losing her patience. Quite abruptly, she slams her fists onto her desk, "You don't think I know that? You don't think I _want_ this baby to be yours? You don't think I _tried_ to come up with every possible way to explain how it could be – to be _sure_ that it is!?

"But I _can't_ be sure! And it's not fair to _you_ for me to force this baby on you when it's probably not even yours to begin with! And even if it _is_ yours, we agreed to keep this casual. I don't want this to ruin our friendship or make you feel obligated to me. This is _my_ mess. You're free to go, okay! No strings attached."

Toph's chest heaves as she finishes her outburst. She sits back down (when had she stood up again?) and swallows back the lump in her throat that feels dangerously like the onset of tears.

"Why are you still here?" Toph asks after a while, when she realizes Sokka hasn't left.

"Are you really that clueless, Toph?"

Toph frowns, caught off guard by the smile in his voice. "What do you mean?"

"You think you can scare me away with another man's baby - if it even _is_ another man's baby?" Sokka sounds way too at ease for a moment like this. "Didn't work the first time and it won't work now."

"Wait, what?" Okay, now she's _really_ caught off guard.

"Toph. There's _always_ been strings. I'm already attached." Sokka says, earnestly, "And I'm not letting go."

Toph opens her mouth to respond, but finds herself unable to. Sokka reaches across her desk and takes her hand in his, grounding her like he always does. It's a simple gesture, but one with meaning, and it takes her back to all the times when he's held her hand before. That's just it, isn't it? All this time, she thought she'd been the only one holding on, the only one _attached_. That's why she needed her stupid little constitution, she realizes. To protect herself, protect her heart (because _yes,_ she does have one). She needed rules, because without them, she'd have nothing there to keep her from _falling._ But no, Sokka has _always_ been there - sometimes quite literally - to keep her from hitting the ground, hasn't he? Why hadn't she realized it before?

Toph is still unable to speak - too stunned by this revelation - but when Sokka gives her hand a squeeze, stands up, walks around her desk, kneels down and _kisses her,_ Toph considers that it _might_ be time to makes some amendments to her constitution. Starting with:

**Rule #6. _Always_ Follow Rules 1-5...**

**... Unless they apply to Sokka.**

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, Tokka Friends, long time no see! So... believe it or not, I actually started writing this fic back in September for the Tokka Week Revival. It was going pretty well, until one day I opened my laptop and found that I just physically and mentally couldn't write anymore (thank you, ADHD). I didn't plan on taking such a long break, but I needed it, and I'm so happy to be writing again. 
> 
> To those of you who are reading my WIP, I'll Be Seeing You: first, I want to say thank you so much for your patience. I'm sorry it's been so long since my last update. I do plan on updating IBSY soon, but since it's been so long since I've written, I wanted to strengthen my writer's muscle a bit with this fun little guy first. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! And yes, I purposefully kept Suyin's parentage ambiguous in this one. Toph's line about trying to come up with explanations for how Sokka could be the father was a bit of a nod to how it felt writing I'll Be Seeing You. 😅


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